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Trying again. A vent. Sports vs. academics at US colleges
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<blockquote data-quote="susiestar" data-source="post: 577861" data-attributes="member: 1233"><p>I totally agree that the emphasis on athletics over academics is insane in our country. Some of the things done to get athletes grades up infuriated me. </p><p></p><p>I DO have a different perspective on 2yr vs 4yr colleges. The less demanding classes at a 2 yr college may actually keep her from ever getting her degree. She likely won't get the strong foundation that she will NEED for a career, and she also will likely have far greater struggles when she goes to a 4 yr university after she is done at the 2 yr. </p><p></p><p>One thing that the 4yr schools do for athletes is to provide top quality resources for them. MANY athletes have LDs and struggle with academics. The larger athletic programs have the financial ability to provide tutors, study aides, all sorts of other resources (often including note taking and even audio/video recordings of lessons for just a very few examples). The 2 yr colleges just cannot provide this caliber of academic help. The 4 yr athletic teams are also willing to fight for a player to have an IEP and for the professors to follow them. </p><p></p><p>Jumper may well be able to do more and get more of the help and accommodations at the 4 yr univ, plus the level of academic performance won't suddenly jump up when transfers to the 4 yr college. I would investigate VERY carefully the resources at every school she applies to and ask what they will do to help her academics. </p><p></p><p>How do I know this stuff? My folks were educators. My mom and a number of her colleagues worked on committees to help keep students in school and to help them succeed. I also know a lot of people who have had LDs and the things that helped them. MANY of them who went to 2 yr colleges then on to 4 yr ones had a super hard time because they just were not prepared for the classes at the 4 yr schools. More than a few also found that classes they were told would transfer to the 4 yr school actually didn't. They had to be taken again, and scholarships won't generally pay for this. Even if you are assured that the classes will transfer before you take them, often changes in what is taught and how in depth it is taught end up resulting in students paying for and taking classes that will not transfer and they must repeat them. It is expensive.</p><p></p><p>I don't think her current coaches know all of this. They are likely just seeing the kudos they will get for having her play at a major 4 yr univ. This kind of success opens doors for coaches to move up in the world. You are right to look at the schools to see which would be the best 'fit' for her in every way, but don't write off the 4 yr schools until you have taken time to find out what they can do to help Jumper reach her career goals and to support and overcome her Learning Disability (LD)'s. </p><p></p><p>Most schools teach the tougher subjects, esp math and science, on several levels. Some are easier than others, and some are harder. Here the easier level classes (popularly called things like Cowboy Math and Rocks for Jocks, etc... by students) are aimed at people going into the Arts and Humanities, meaning majors like social work, early childhood education, etc... They are not nearly as diifficult as the versions taught for people majoring in engineering, the sciences, math, etc... It is very likely that if Jumper is getting B's in a decent high school then she will b able to handle the versions that will be recommended for a major in social work. Add the help the athletic dept will give her? She will likely do very well.</p><p></p><p>If she does a semester or two at the 4 yr school first, seh can always transfer to the 2 yr school if it is needed. </p><p></p><p>I know this is very scary for you, but you may need to give Jumper the freedom to see if she can succeed at the 4 yr school if that is what she wants. </p><p></p><p>Just FYI, from knowing people who work with Women's Athletics at more than a few universities, the women are expected to have better grades and are given the resources they need and generally have frequent mandated study sessions. College coaches for women's sports are well aware of how few professional sport teams exist for women, so they know that their athletes will NEED a good education to support themselves out in the real world. At least this has been the attitude/behavior of the coaches of women's sports that I have known. </p><p></p><p>Jumper has a really good head on her shoulders and she won't make the decision lightly.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="susiestar, post: 577861, member: 1233"] I totally agree that the emphasis on athletics over academics is insane in our country. Some of the things done to get athletes grades up infuriated me. I DO have a different perspective on 2yr vs 4yr colleges. The less demanding classes at a 2 yr college may actually keep her from ever getting her degree. She likely won't get the strong foundation that she will NEED for a career, and she also will likely have far greater struggles when she goes to a 4 yr university after she is done at the 2 yr. One thing that the 4yr schools do for athletes is to provide top quality resources for them. MANY athletes have LDs and struggle with academics. The larger athletic programs have the financial ability to provide tutors, study aides, all sorts of other resources (often including note taking and even audio/video recordings of lessons for just a very few examples). The 2 yr colleges just cannot provide this caliber of academic help. The 4 yr athletic teams are also willing to fight for a player to have an IEP and for the professors to follow them. Jumper may well be able to do more and get more of the help and accommodations at the 4 yr univ, plus the level of academic performance won't suddenly jump up when transfers to the 4 yr college. I would investigate VERY carefully the resources at every school she applies to and ask what they will do to help her academics. How do I know this stuff? My folks were educators. My mom and a number of her colleagues worked on committees to help keep students in school and to help them succeed. I also know a lot of people who have had LDs and the things that helped them. MANY of them who went to 2 yr colleges then on to 4 yr ones had a super hard time because they just were not prepared for the classes at the 4 yr schools. More than a few also found that classes they were told would transfer to the 4 yr school actually didn't. They had to be taken again, and scholarships won't generally pay for this. Even if you are assured that the classes will transfer before you take them, often changes in what is taught and how in depth it is taught end up resulting in students paying for and taking classes that will not transfer and they must repeat them. It is expensive. I don't think her current coaches know all of this. They are likely just seeing the kudos they will get for having her play at a major 4 yr univ. This kind of success opens doors for coaches to move up in the world. You are right to look at the schools to see which would be the best 'fit' for her in every way, but don't write off the 4 yr schools until you have taken time to find out what they can do to help Jumper reach her career goals and to support and overcome her Learning Disability (LD)'s. Most schools teach the tougher subjects, esp math and science, on several levels. Some are easier than others, and some are harder. Here the easier level classes (popularly called things like Cowboy Math and Rocks for Jocks, etc... by students) are aimed at people going into the Arts and Humanities, meaning majors like social work, early childhood education, etc... They are not nearly as diifficult as the versions taught for people majoring in engineering, the sciences, math, etc... It is very likely that if Jumper is getting B's in a decent high school then she will b able to handle the versions that will be recommended for a major in social work. Add the help the athletic dept will give her? She will likely do very well. If she does a semester or two at the 4 yr school first, seh can always transfer to the 2 yr school if it is needed. I know this is very scary for you, but you may need to give Jumper the freedom to see if she can succeed at the 4 yr school if that is what she wants. Just FYI, from knowing people who work with Women's Athletics at more than a few universities, the women are expected to have better grades and are given the resources they need and generally have frequent mandated study sessions. College coaches for women's sports are well aware of how few professional sport teams exist for women, so they know that their athletes will NEED a good education to support themselves out in the real world. At least this has been the attitude/behavior of the coaches of women's sports that I have known. Jumper has a really good head on her shoulders and she won't make the decision lightly. [/QUOTE]
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